No Imran-Modi formal meeting at SCO summit: Indian HC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not made any formal request for a meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Narendra Modi on the margins of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held on 13th of this month at Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Indian High Commissioner for Pakistan Ajay Absaria told this the media here on Saturday evening at the Iftar/dinner hosted by the Indian High Commission in Serena Hotel. Interestingly India has also not made a similar request through diplomatic channels as yet.

The diplomatic observers had earlier expressed the hope that the much awaited meeting could take place in Bishkek since some member countries leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are working on it. A meeting of the two could pave the way for resumption of Composite Dialogue of Pakistan and India.

The High Commissioner brushed aside the impression that New Delhi has any reservations about appointment of Moinul Haque as Pakistan’s designated High Commissioner for India who is a career diplomat and coming from France where he is Pakistan’s ambassador for three years. Moin will replace Sohail Mahmood in New Delhi who has become Foreign Secretary and has already assumed as Foreign Secretary in Islamabad.

Ajay Absaria said that matter of the fact is that Indian government is expediting issuance of agreement (consent) for posting of Moin in Indian capital since new government has taken the charge afresh in India. He said that the agreement will be issued soon to Moinul Haque who is a decent diplomat.

The Indian High Commissioner in his brief address on the occasion said that with assumption of charge by new government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one could hope for a new positive trajectory in the ties of the two neighbouring countries as Prime Ministers Modi and Khan had spoken of peace and prosperity for the region through cooperation in their telephonic conversation.

The opposition plan for launching movement against the government and decision to put its heads together mid of this month was favourite topic for guests’ discussion.

The government was represented in the Iftar/dinner by close associate of the Prime Minister Senator Faisal Javaid while Gen ® Anees Bajwa who served as chief of staff of former President General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader and MNA Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, PPP spokesman former Senator Farahatullah Babar, Pakistan’s former high commissioner for India Aziz Ahmad Khan, Aziz Boolani, Turkey Ambassador Mustafa Yurdakul, Iran’s Ambassador Mehdi Honordoost, Bangladesh High Commissioner Tariq Islam and Jamil Mohsin Baig were conspicuous among the guests. The number of guests was very thin.

The guests had to face difficulty to enter the rendezvous of the Iftar/dinner due to strict security outside the hotel since the Indian High Commission is always faced threatened due to Indian occupied forces unabated brutalities against the people in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK). High Commissioner Ajay also referred to the scrutiny process in his address but without any grudge.